importunate

adj
/ɪmˈpɔːtjʊnət/UK/ɪmˈpɔɹt͡ʃənət/US/ɪmˈpɔːtjuːneɪt/UK/ɪmˈpɔɹtjuːneɪt/US

Etymology

First attested in 1477, in Middle english; from Latin importūnus + -ate (adjective-forming suffix), modelled on Middle French importuné. By surface analysis, importune + -ate. The noun was substantivized from the adjective, see -ate (noun-forming suffix).

  1. derived from importuné
  2. derived from importūnus + -ate

Definitions

  1. Persistent or pressing, often annoyingly so.

    • Trembling in every limb I raise my loud im­portunate cry, And in a sacred terror wait the Delian god’s reply.
  2. Given to importunate demands, greedily or thoughtlessly demanding.

    • [...] if you reprimand or punish them, be assured every one will consider you importunate as well as ridiculous.
  3. An importuner.

    • This will put an Answer into the Kings mouth, against all importunates.
  4. + 1 more definition
    1. To importune, or to obtain by importunity.

      • All which notwithstanding, I obtained licence at length to make my supplication to the noble Parliament house; but I could find no messengers till Sir John Seton went, whom I importunated daily to obtain me favor for my return home again.
      • Is my work ended? The fear of importunating my friends answers, “Yes.”
      • It is the concrete that impresses, that importunates until it influences—in writing as in everything else.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for importunate. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA